QUEBEC CITY, Que. - Trying to explain just how long fighting has been part of his life, English middleweight Michael Bisping paused a story about playground tussles as he spotted a very short man nearby. "I love being a fighter, I do. Rightly or wrongly," he said. "Ever since I was the same height as that guy." Bisping (25-5) giggled as he savoured the political incorrectness. "I was going to say ever since I was this big," he said holding his hand down by his knee. "Then I saw him. Hes a friend of mine, by the way. Thats Mick." Little Mick is indeed a Bisping family friend. And chances are hes heard plenty worse from the fifth-ranked UFC middleweight in the world. As he gears up for his 20th fight in the UFC - against former Green Beret Tim Kennedy in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter Nations televised card Wednesday - the charismatic Bisping is a veteran when it comes to stirring the pot. These days, his opponents often do it for him. The 35-year-old Bisping has become somewhat of a closer when it comes to trash talk. His opponents, knowing the brash Brit will take the bait, look to antagonize Bisping to raise the profile of the fight. Conflict sells tickets, especially on a crowded UFC calendar. In April alone, the UFC has shows in Abu Dhabi, Quebec City, Orlando and Baltimore. The UFC, in its first foray to the Quebec capital, expects a crowd between 5,000 to 10,000 in the lower bowl of the Colisee Pepsi. While the timing of the TUF Nations show meant some local fighters were not announced until recently, Bisping has done his bit to sell the show. On Monday, Bisping calmly did media interviews in a downtown hotel before being summoned by Tom Wright, managing director of UFC operations for Canada, Australia and New Zealand, to pose for a photo with Kennedy. Bisping instantly switched to sandpaper mode, placing his nose on Kennedys, wagging his finger as he read his somewhat bemused opponent the riot act. Other than a stream of F-bombs, it was hard to hear what was being said in the one-way conversation. Asked later, Bisping offered a clean version. "Hes talked so much for so long. And Im not interested in getting a war on words on Twitter. Ill say what I have to say to his face. And I just told him, I said Listen, Im going to knock that stupid look off your face. Youre going to live to regret every word youve said about me, every video, every picture that youve Photoshopped. Everything that youve done to mock me, youre going to pay (for), youre going to eat your words and youre going to wish that you never heard of Michael Bisping." More classic Bisping. He has, of course, used social media himself in the war of words. Tweeting "Cant wait to get my hands on that little dork Kennedy" hardly rates as taking the high road. The same conflict that sells tickets motivates Bisping. The Brit does his best work when he walks into the Octagon with a burr under his saddle. Kennedy (17-4) has been happy to oblige, accusing him of dirty tactics. "Hes going to try to grab my shorts, hes going to try to grab the cage, hes going to try to poke me in the eye," said the 34-year-old Texan, who is ranked No. 8 among middleweight contenders. "When he gets tired, hes going to try to kick me in the groin. I know this and Im ready for it in my head and I dont care. He kicks me in the groin, Im going to hit him in the face. Ill trade you. Im wearing a cup. You can kick me in the groin again and Ill hit you in the face and see who wins. "Hopefully the referee will be very strong and have a good presence, but Im aware that hes going to try these things." That prompted Bisping to brand Kennedy a liar, idiot and narcissist. "Ive had one point deducted in my entire career," Bisping told a public workout Sunday. "And I dont know how he says Im a dirty fighter." Speaking moments later to a reporter, he had a slightly different view of Kennedy. "I should thank him really, because hes done all these things," Bisping said cheerfully. "And if he hadnt had done them, it wouldnt have had the attention it had, it might not be main event. "Really in some ways I should thank him. And of course, its motivated me as well." Bisping has history with Ranger Up, a military-themed clothing company that Kennedy owns a piece of. The company sponsored Jorge Rivera, who lost to Bisping at UFC 127 in a bitter bout that saw the Rivera camp get under Bispings skin big-time. Bisping was irate at what he saw as slurs on his fiancee. He beat Rivera, having a point deducted for an illegal knee to his opponents head en route to the win, and then spat on the canvas in front of the Rivera corner. Winner of Season 3 of "The Ultimate Fighter," Bisping has won 14 of his 19 UFC fights. The losses have come to elite opponents — former champions or MMA icons in Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson, Wanderlei (The Axe Murderer) Silva, Chael Sonnen and Vitor (The Phenom) Belfort. Bisping is smart, mobile and has a good gas tank in the cage. He has also turned himself into a well-rounded fighter. He took Sonnen, a decorated wrestler, down in the third round of their bout while stopping three of Sonnens seven takedown attempts. Kennedy may look to make fun of the Brit, but he respects his fighting skills. "Look at the guys hes beaten and the guys hes lost (to)," Kennedy said. "Take all him talking out of the scenario, just look at what hes done in the cage — hes beaten really good guys and hes lost to just the very best." Bisping has also been a loyal UFC employee, building the brand in Britain and fighting around the world. Now making his home in California, he has made a good life for he and his family. But he has paid the price. He was victim of a savage Henderson knockout at UFC 100. And he wonders whether a Belfort head kick in January 2013 triggered the serious eye issues that have plagued him since. In a chilling story of medical self-denial, he started having vision issues after the Belfort loss — and did nothing. "Everybody was saying you need to see the doctor, my family and friends, but I feared it was a detached retina so I kind of put it off," he said. He beat Alan (The Talent) Belcher in April 2013 before eventually giving in to the need for medical attention. His peripheral vision was shot. "It came to a point where I could hardly see my hand in front of my face. And after the (Belcher) fight, I thought Right, its time to see a doctor. And I went and saw them and they confirmed my fears, it was a detached retina. I went into surgery the next day." He has not fought since. "Everything that could go wrong with an eye, I pretty much had it," he said. He had glaucoma, cataracts, and then the retina detached again, requiring more surgery. The UFC eventually ordered him to see an independent doctor before agreeing to give him another fight. "Ive been cleared medically," he said. Still the vision out of the right eye "isnt what it was." Bisping was on an assembly line making furniture back in 2003 when he decided he had to get out. Having taken martial arts since a kid, he looked to boxing. "I thought I dont know if Ill ever be the champion of the world but I know I can be good enough to be a pro and at least make a bit of a living out of it, he said in a 2008 interview with The Canadian Press. ``And that was a plan. Very quickly, that turned into mixed martial arts. Quitting his job on Jan. 4, 2004, he started commuting from his home in Clitheroe near Liverpool in northwestern England to spend the week training with an old coach in Nottingham. Money was so tight he sometimes slept in his car, a battered Volvo 440, returning home on the weekends to see his family and make some cash by DJing. He says he has never forgotten sleeping in that car. "Thats what keeps me training so hard. It really does. I never take what Ive got for granted. I know it can all be over, in the click of my fingers, especially with all the new talent, how the UFC is expanding so massively. Im completely dispensable." He is already branching out, moonlighting as an MMA analyst for Fox as well as acting. He has small roles in the films "The Anomaly" and "Plastic," both of which are due out this year. Earlier this year, he spent a month in Thailand filing the TV show "Strikeback." "Theyre only small parts and of course type-case, playing bad guys, Russian gangsters and Polish gangsters. Listen Im never going to be treading the boards doing Shakespeare." But when it comes to talking up fights, Bisping gets top billing. "Hes just such an abrasive, caustic personality. Hes so outspoken, hes so rough. It just rubs a lot of people the wrong way," said Kennedy, struggling to sum up his opponents many thorns. Cheap Chargers Jerseys .com) - A chant of Zeke reverberated around AT&T Stadium before Ezekiel Elliott powered into the end zone for his fourth and final touchdown. Cheap Justin Jackson Jersey . "This isnt really the week you want to lose Chris Greaves," fellow lineman Glenn January said Wednesday after practice. Greaves is expected to miss several weeks after suffering a knee injury in last weeks 36-28 win over the Ottawa Redblacks. http://www.cheapchargersjerseyselite.com/. Andrew Luck couldnt believe his ears. Colts fans couldnt believe the scoreboard, and the Kansas City Chiefs couldnt believe their incredibly bad luck. Cheap Justin Jones Jersey .com) - The Chicago Cubs reportedly signed recently-acquired outfielder Dexter Fowler to a one-year contract on Friday, avoiding arbitration. Cheap Kyzir White Jersey . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period.GREEN BAY, Wis. - The brief scuffle at Packers practice turned heads in the crowd. The dropped ball by a receiver during an offence vs. defence security drill drew roars from defenders. The team has grinded through off-season workouts with a work ethic that coach Mike McCarthy says is one of the best hes seen during his nine years as head coach in Green Bay. The energy is up. "Im not saying the other groups werent mature," McCarthy said. "It just seems like this group is further ahead than weve been, and you can sense the energy." Caveat: Its June, still more than six weeks from the start of training camp and three months from the start of the 2014 season. Almost every team feels good this time of year. The Packers, of course, have a championship pedigree. Confidence that comes with winning three straight NFC North titles, and just a few seasons removed from winning the Super Bowl. "The work ethic is very high. This group is really extremely competitive, in tune. Our new training environment has been unbelievable. It has put us so far ahead of where weve ever been, so I think with that brings more confidence so theres just a sense of maturity," McCarthy said. Changes on the coaching staff brought some new perspective. Quarterbacks coach Ben McAdoo left to become the offensive co-ordinator of the New York Giants, while outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene left to spend more time with family. Sam Gash is the new running backs coach after Alex Van Pelt slid over to replace McAdoo. Winston Moss is the assistant in charge of all linebackers now, not just inside linebackers. Former Illinois and Florida head coach Ron Zook is now an assistant special teams coach. Green Bay hopes the defence will be improved this year with the addition of Julius Peppers and the anticipated healthy return oof linebacker Clay Matthews from an injured thumb.ddddddddddddEddie Lacy has a full year of seasoning now as the lead rusher in a talented backfield that complements Rodgers. The 2011 NFL MVP, for one, likes the spunk hes seen on the practice field. "I love it. I love the energy, I love the passion. There will be those altercations in training camp. When guys remember this is a professional environment, not a personal environment, then you wont have any issues in the locker room," Rodgers said. "But every now and then you have to stir it up a little bit, you have to make some changes." Rodgers said he also likes the changes he has seen with new personnel and new coaches. "Its a natural progression. And when you have some new players theres always going to be stuff like that, guys getting used to this tempo," Rodgers said. "Sometimes guys dont like getting tossed down a little bit, and you need to work it out." Fringe players anxiously looking for a roster spot shouldnt get too overly worked up. Jobs arent won in June, McCarthy said, when practices are tailored to highlight agility and playing in space. But McCarthy likes some of the intangibles that he has seen so far. "I think youre seeing more player interaction as far as what goes on on the field. Guys self-correcting, and a lot more pro-active as far as sharing information," he said. "Those are good things. I see more of it this year." Note: The Packers signed rookie free agent Shaun Lewis on Tuesday. Lewis, a 5-foot-11 linebacker from Oklahoma State, tried out at Packers rookie minicamp in May. He had 73 tackles and three interceptions last season for the Cowboys. __ Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ___ Follow Genaro Armas at http://twitter.com/GArmasAPCheap Heat JerseysCheap Bucks JerseysCheap Timberwolves JerseysCheap Pelicans JerseysCheap Knicks JerseysCheap Thunder JerseysCheap Magic JerseysCheap 76ers JerseysCheap Suns JerseysCheap Blazers JerseysCheap Sacramento Kings JerseysCheap Spurs JerseysCheap Raptors JerseysCheap Jazz JerseysCheap Wizards Jerseys ' ' '